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The first known examples of the modern sniper appeared somewhere in the latter half of the nineteenth century, particularly during the American Civil War. Even though they were only employed in a limited capacity, sharpshooters were used by both the Union and Confederate troops during the whole of the fight. These individuals were not, however, recognized as “snipers.”

At the turn of the century, advancements in weaponry and strategy would make it possible for these highly trained warriors to achieve much more than they had been able to do in the past. This would result in a significant expansion of their function.

On the modern battlefield, the sniper has evolved into a deadly force that has similar kill counts to much larger forces such as artillery or tanks.

This transformation took place over the course of time. The most lethal snipers in history have had a significant influence on practically every major conflict that has taken place over the course of the last century.

This ranges from the bloody fighting on the eastern front of World War 2 to the current large-scale fights against ISIS. They typically go for high-profile, critical targets.

 

10. 103 Kills’ Charles Mawhinney

In the course of the Vietnam War, Charles Mawhinney is credited with 103 kills, which is the greatest number of kills in the history of the United States Marine Corps.

However, if the reports of his contemporaries are to be believed, that figure may be greater than 300, which would place him among the most accomplished snipers in the annals of military history.

 

 

9.   Billy Sing, with more than 200 kills

When Willian “Billy” Sing enlisted in the military to serve in the First World War, he had no idea that he would go on to become one of the most skilled snipers in the history of the whole battle, and probably even of all time.

As a member of the Australian Imperial Force, he was sent to the deadly Gallipoli front in May of 1915. There, Turkish snipers were inflicting havoc on ally forces from New Zealand and Australia since these men had an in-depth familiarity with the landscape of their own countries.

 

 

8.   Francis Pegahmagabow, with more than 378 kills

Even though snipers had been around for some time before the First World War, it was during the brutal combat of that conflict that the modern sniper really came into his own.

These early snipers were particularly successful in the trenches because they were armed with new and superior weapons like as the bolt action rifle and telescopic sights. This was especially true during the early stages of the war when no one understood how to counteract their effectiveness.

 

 

7.   Ivan Sidorenko, with more than 500 kills

Ivan Sidorenko’s military career had its start in 1939, when he enrolled in the Red Army to fight against the German invasion of Russia, much like the many other people who lived in Russia at the time.

In 1941, he was sent to serve in a mortar battalion that was responsible for loading and reloading long-range artillery projectiles in order to participate in the pivotal Battle of Moscow.

 

6.   Josef Aller Berger, with more than 257 kills

In September of 1943, Josef Aller Berger was first sent to the Eastern Front as a German machine-gunner. However, he rapidly recognized that he was considerably more effective with sniper rifles and switched positions.

Following their loss at Stalingrad in January, the Germans were not having much success in the eastern theatre of the war.

Soviet snipers were taking a terrible toll on the fleeing German army as they inflicted massive casualties. Although Aller Berger was not successful in turning the situation around – as everyone is aware, the war came to an end – he was successful in slowing down the advance of the Red Army in that specific zone.

 

5.   Lyudmila Pavlichenko, with more than 309 kills

Lyudmila Pavlichenko was one of the numerous Soviet people who freely joined up to protect their nation in June of 1941, when Germany attacked the Soviet Union.

The invasion took place in the Soviet Union. Pavlichenko had attended the neighbourhood sniper school at the period when she was a student at Kiev University trying to become a professor and scholar.

As a result, she was skilled with a rifle. She would continue to improve her talents on the battlefield, finally reaching to the point where she was so skilled that the Germans began to refer to her as “Lady Death.”

 

4.   Matthaus Hetzenauer, with more than 345 kills

In 1944, Matthaus Hetzenauer served as a member of the Wehrmacht’s 3rd Mountain Division and was sent to duty in Central Europe. While Hitler was mobilizing some of his finest troops to secure the front in the east, the primary focus of all German operations at this time was to slow down the fast advance of the Soviet forces against Berlin.

 

 

3.   Simo Hayha, with more than 542 kills.

The invasion of Finland by the Soviet Union in November of 1939 marked the beginning of the brutal Winter War, which was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people.

In spite of the fact that the Soviet Union was able to make a few territorial gains by the time it was over in March of 1940, the Finnish resistance to the Soviet invasion is what is remembered most about the war.

The Finns were able to kill about 126,000 Soviet troops while only losing around 26,000 of their own.

 

 

2.   Vasily Shalvovich, with more than 534 kills

 

Vasily Shalvovich had been employed on a communal farm in the Georgian SSR before to the invasion of Soviet Russia by German forces.

Even though he had spent some time in the Red Army between the years 1932 and 1933, it wasn’t until the Second World War that he really mastered the art of sniping with a rifle.

Before that, he had just dabbled in it. By June of 1942, Shalvovich talents had gained him a position as a sniper in the 138th Infantry Division, which was engaged in combat in Stalingrad at the time.

 

1.   Vasily Zaytsev, with more than 225 kills

One of the biggest and most bloody conflicts ever fought was the Battle of Stalingrad, which took place on the Eastern Front during World War II.

As both sides brought millions of reinforcements into the city over the course of the five-month-long fight, its dense urban environment proved to be a playground for well-trained and experienced snipers from Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.